Hole-cleaning apparatus



May 27, 1930. o. E. CLARK HOLE CLEANING APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 19% m May 27, 1930. o. E. CLARK HOLE CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 4, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE OMAR E. CLARK, OI DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE GARDNER-DENVER COMPANY, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE HOLE-GLEANING- APPARATUS Original application filed April 19, 1918 Serial No. 2293500. Patent No. 1,538,421, dated May 19, 1925.

Divided and. this application filed September 4, 1923.

sures may be supplied.

The present application is a division of application, Serial No. 229,500, and filed April 19, 1918, Patent No. 1,538,421, May 19,

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of i a rock drill with the improvements thereon,

and shown somewhat diagrammatically, V

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the drill steel rotating motor and taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 3--3 and 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figures 5-11 inclusive are detail sectional views through the throttle" or controlling valve, showing the various control positions,

Figure 12 is a development of said valve.

In the embodiment disclosed, a drilling motor isemployed, comprising a barrel 11 having a rear head 12 and a front head 13. In the cylinder member thus provided is located a reciprocatory hammer piston 14;, having a forward extension 15 that operates in the head 13. The rear head 12 is provided with a valve casing 16, from which extendsa passageway 17, having ports 18 that open into the interior of the cylinder member and are controlled by the piston in its operation. The exhaust takes place through a port, indicated in dotted lines at 19..

The front head 13 has fitted thereon a sleeve 20,in which a rotatable chuck 21 is journaled. Thischuck is adaptedto detachably receive the rear end of a drill steel 22, having a bore 23 therethrough. This steel is adapted to be hammered upon by the extension .15 of the piston 14. The chuck 21 is provided on its rear portion with a worm.

Serial No. 660,837.

wheel 24:, which is engaged by suitable gearing, not shown, driven from a rotary motor 25 that is located on one side of the sleeve 20. This motor includes intermeshing gear pistons 26. The motor is reversible, that is to say, it may be continuously operated in either of opposite directions, and for this purpose, separate passageways 27 and 28 lead from the interior of the valve casing, and open, as shown in Figure 2, on opposite sides of the intermeshing portions of the gear piston 26. An exhaust passageway 29, also opens from the interior of the valve casing 16, and extends longitudinally through the barrel 11, its discharge end opening into the head 13 in rear of the chuck, and consequently being ,in communication with the bore 23 of the 31 formed in the rear head 12, a passageway 32 extending from the socket to the rear end of the tube. Another passageway 33, shown in Figure 3, extends from the valve casing 16, in advance of the valve therein, and communicates with the passageway 32. A threeway rotary valve 3&- is located at the j uncture of the passageways 32 and 33.

The interior formation of the valve casing 16 provides a tapered valve seat in which is located a rotary tapered valve 35 having a central bore 36, to which fluid under pressure is admitted from a suitable source of supply in the well-known manner. This valve 35 is provided with a lateral port 37 communicating with the bore 36 and movable into and out of communication withis movable into and out of communication with the passageways 27 and 28, and is also arranged to bring said passageways into communication with the exhaust passageway 29.

The operation of the valve is as follows: When the valve is in the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, it is closed, or in other words, the supply of motive fluid is cut off from the various passageways, theport 37, being out of communication with the passageway 17 and the port 38 being out of communication with both the passageways 27 and 28. If now the valve is turned toward the left, it will be noted that the port 38 is first brought into communication with the passageway 28, and therefore motive fluid will enter said passageway and be delivered to the rotary motor on one side of the pistons. The drill rotating motor can therefore be started slowly in operation and the exhaust will flow back through the passageway 27, which is now in communication with the channel 39, as illustrated in Figure 6, this channel being also in communication through the exhaust passagewa 29, and thus delivering the exhaust from t e rotary motor to the bore of the drill steel. As the valve 35 is further turned to the left, the port 38 is more and more opened to the passageway 28, gradually increasing the supply of fluid to the chuck rotating motor until said valve comes to the position shown in Figure 7. When so positioned motive fluid is being also admitted to the drilling motor and the hammer piston is therefore started in operation.

As is well known to those skilled in this art, it is a very common occurrence for a drill steel to become lodged or stuck in the drill hole, and at times it becomes so firmly fixed that it has been necessary to turn the entire apparatus in order to free it. This involves the stopping of the motor and heretofore the custom as been to apply a wrench to the structure and operate it manually. With the present apparatus, this can be done mechanically. The drilling motor is stopped by turning the valve 35 to the position shown in Figures 1 and 5, and said valve is then oscillated between the position shown in Figures 8 and 9, which brings the port 38 alternately into communication with the passageways 27 and 28. As a consequence the motive fluid being alternately directed into such passageways will operate alternately in opposite directions against the chuck rotating motor, thus causing the same to be turned in opposite directions. During this movement the channel 39 is alternately brought into communication with the passa eways 27 and 28, permitting the alternate ex aust through the passageway 29, and thus the opposite actuation communicates a powerful turning movement to the drill steel in opposite directions for freeing the same.

As will be evident, during the normal operation of the drilling apparatus the exhaust from the chuck rotating motor passing down through the bore 23 of the drill steel 22 will exhaust at the bit end, or in other words, at the bottom of the drill hole, and will eject the cuttings. Water may also be supplied to the bore of the drill steel for cleansing purposes through the tube 30. It sometimes happens that because of the collection of material, this exhaust is insuflicient to expel the cuttings and whenever a supplemental supply of greater force is desired it is only necessary to turn the valve 34 to a position to effect a communication between the passageways 33 and 29, whereupon the supply of live motive fluid will augment the weaker force of the exhaust and expel the detritus. The water may be admitted only with the supplemental supply or cut off during such supply by operating the said valve 34, as may be desired.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is

1. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a drilling motor, including a barrel and a hammer piston operating therein, of a tool receiving chuck, a tube extending through the piston for delivering fluid to a drill steel placed in the chuck, a passageway in the barrel for delivering fluid to a drill steel placed in the chuck, a chuck rotating motor, means for supplying the exhaust from said motor to the passageway in the barrel, means for supplying live fluid to the tube, and a common valve for controlling the supply of fluid to the drilling motor and to the chuck rotating motor, said valve also controlling the passage of exhaust to the passageway.

2. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a drilling motor, of a drill rotating motor, means for supplying motive fluid to both motors, means for directing the exhaust fluid-from the drill rotating motor to the bore of a steel operated by both motors, and valve mechanism for controlling the supply of fluid to the motors and the exhaust of the drill rotating motor to the drill steel.

3. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a drilling motor, of a drill rotating motor, means for supplying motive fluid to both motors, a valve mechanism on the rear end of the drilling motor for controlling the motive fluid supply, and meansfor conducting the exhaust fluid from one of the motors through the valve to the bore of a drill steel operated on by the motors.

4:. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a drilling motor, of a drill rotating motor, means for supplying motive fluid to both motors, a valve mechanism on the rear end of the drilling motor for controlling the motive fluid supply, and means for conducting the exhaust fluid from the drill rotating motor through the valve to the bore of a drill steel operated on by the motors.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

OMAR E. CLARK. 

